


Second Chance

by anamiii



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Past and Present, Second Chances, college sweethearts, the one that got away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:20:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29408991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anamiii/pseuds/anamiii
Summary: What happens when Regina runs into her college sweetheart after nearly 20 years? Will love reignite or have they already moved on?
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DocMcRegals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DocMcRegals/gifts).



> LoveFromOQ fic for the lovely Dee (DocMcRegals). This is the first chapter of this story that will hopefully live up to what you wanted! Happy Valentine's Day from your OQpid :)

Chapter 1

Regina couldn’t believe her eyes, was she really gazing at the man that once held her heart and who she never thought she would part from? It couldn’t be. It had been decades since she’d seen him. They parted on not the greatest terms, but she could still feel her nerves on fire from looking at his profile. She had been lost in thought while staring at him and hadn’t noticed him turn until he called her name. 

“Regina?” she heard him say.

Regina shook herself out of the trance she was in, “Hi, Robin.”

“It’s good to see you,” Robin replied as he walked over to her. 

Regina nodded slightly, “What are you doing here?” 

“Picking up my son,” he responded.

“Ah, makes sense,” Regina said, “Me too.” She added.

Robin smiled awkwardly at her, this wasn’t easy. But how could it be seeing as he had broken her heart and walked away from the woman he knew was the best thing to ever happen to him. 

_ **25 years ago** _

Regina looked out the window at the hall she would be living in for the next year. She was excited but anxious to get inside. She was finally in college and states away from her mother. This was it. No one knew her here and she could be whoever she wanted to be. Who that was? She wasn’t sure yet but she would figure it out, she knew she would. Her dad knew she would. And her dad’s support is what got her here. 

Regina had moved her last box into the room when the door to her suite opened and a tall blond woman around her age, maybe a little older, walked in. 

She gave Regina a once over, “Hi, I’m Malinda. Everyone calls me Mal though”

“Regina,” Regina replied, “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she set down a box, “Anyone else here yet?”

Regina shook her head, “No, do you need help with the rest of your things?”

Mal raised an eyebrow, “That’s nice of you. You’re not from New York, are you?”

“New Yorkers aren’t nice?”

Mal shrugged, “Sure, but that was overtly nice. Where are you from anyway?”

“Seattle,” Regina responded as she walked out with her new roommate. She liked her, she didn’t know her but something told her she would be good friends with this one. “My mom’s a total bitch on wheels, dad always told me to not be like her so I’m nice. Unless you piss me off.”

“That sounds more like New York,” Mal replied, “You’re alright.” She handed Regina another box out of her car and grabbed one herself as the two of them made their way back into the building. They continued to unload her things and went on to unpack their own things until their third roommate walked in later that evening. 

Ursula was a marine biology student and came in with her boyfriend Lance who was here on a Lacrosse scholarship. They seemed nice enough and he had invited Regina and Mal to join them later at the university’s pub. 

***

Later that night, Regina walked into the pub with her new roommates. The pub was one of the central hang spots for the university students. She had heard they had curly fries to die for. The atmosphere was lowkey, with lighting dimmed down and a pool table and darts boards on one side, booths and tables on another and a bar set-up for those that only wanted a drink or were dining solo and didn’t want to take up a whole table. 

Regina walked with her roommates over to Lance’s table. He was sitting with three other guys. Must have been his friends she thought. There was one who looked like all he wanted to do was pick up girls, another who looked like he didn’t really belong but she didn’t want to cast judgments. And a third who had ashy blond hair from what she could tell. She could only see the back of his head but his hair was nice. 

Ursula quickly made her way over and sat herself next to her boyfriend. Mal and Regina walked over behind her. 

“Hey ladies, glad you could make it,” Lance said as his arm instantly found his way around Ursula’s shoulders. “Guys, these are Urs’ roommates Mal and Regina. Ladies, these are the guys, Will” he pointed to the sleazy one who was already undressing both of them with his eyes, “John,” who smiled and made room for them. He was nice. “And Robin,” he said of the third mystery man, whose eyes Regina caught and instantly froze. 

He was very handsome to say the least but there was something about him that drew her in. She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. The world had frozen and it was just the two of them. What felt like an eternity was actually mere seconds before Robin had said hello. He had scooted over and made room for one of them. 

Mal nudged her over. They had known each other mere hours but even she could tell there was something stirring. Regina sat down next to Robin and smiled. 

The group stayed there for hours, talking and eating. They played a round of pool. And eventually went back their own ways. 

**Present day**

Regina stood staring at Robin. It had been decades since they had last seen each other but she still felt the same thing she did the first time she had laid her eyes on him. 

Before she had a chance to say anything else, her son had come running out to hug her. “Hi mommy,” he said as she lifted her 5 year old onto her hip.

“Hi baby, how was your first day, Henry?”

“Good, I made a friend,” Henry said with a proud smile on his face.

“You did?” Regina gasped, “That’s great baby.”

Henry looked over her shoulder, “There he is, Roland!” He waved his little hand over at the other boy.

Regina turned just in time to see who he was waving at, come over to the same man that once held her heart in his hands. Her mouth opened slightly, of all the kids, Henry -- her light in everything that was dark -- had chosen the son of the one that got away. Solidifying that she would have to see him or his wife she figured as long as the kids stayed friends. She wished at that moment more than anything her husband was still around to take him to these things so she could have avoided this but alas here she was. 

“I guess we’ll be seeing each other more,” She said as she looked at him.

Robin picked up Roland, “I guess so.” He smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Regina.”

“Bye, Robin.” Regina said as she turned around and walked towards her car. Robin Locksley was back in her life and she wasn’t sure what she felt. He wore a wedding ring so he was married, she knew he would have gotten married at some point. She had too. She would still be if it hadn’t been for the accident. She instinctively felt the ring on her necklace. She missed her husband dearly. But she was starting to feel things she knew she shouldn’t. She sighed as she started to drive home. She would have to just ignore her feelings. For Henry. He had a new friend and she wasn’t going to take that away from him. 


End file.
